GRAND BANK, N.L.—The sad case of a mother who abandoned her two young sons to seek out oxycodone while on probation speaks to the devastating hold an opioid addiction can have over a user’s life, a Newfoundland judge says. “The reality that we have seen in this court is that opioid users will sacrifice everything for the high,” Judge Harold Porter said in his recent decision. The provincial court judge said the sentence is meant to denounce her actions and deter similar behaviour, but said it should be served in the community with the goal aiding the mother in her rehabilitation. He said her case speaks to the realities of addiction and its harsh effects on people’s lives, because the penalty from breaching a court order was not an effective deterrent. He said she seemed genuinely motivated to overcome her addiction and eventually regain custody of her children.

Source: thestar July 08, 2019 18:56 UTC